BERLIN- The Berlin Little League’s dynamic Intermediate team, a core group of players that have stuck together through each age bracket, repeated as District 8 champions last weekend with a dominating 14-3 win over West Salisbury.
The Intermediate team has now won four straight District 8 championships at different levels and will move on to the Maryland State Little League Tournament. Last year, the team won the District 8 title as an under-12 team and made a run in the U.S. regional tournament with a trip to the World Series in Williamsport on the line before bowing out in the regional semifinals.
The same core group was reunited this year as Berlin’s Intermediate All-Star team and repeated as District 8 champs last Sunday with the big win over West Salisbury. Berlin got out to an early 3-0 lead in the game in the first inning and never looked back. After singles by Hayden Snelsire and Tristan McDonough, Berlin’s Wes Powell cleared the basis to score two runs. A wild pitch by West Salisbury allowed pinch runner Kevin Beck to score, completing the three-run first inning.
West Salisbury answered with a solo homer in the bottom of the first, but Berlin responded with five runs of its own in the second. Matt Kinsey led off the inning with a walk, followed by a Zach Pletcher bunt for a single. An infield single by Kevon Wharton loaded the basis, and Kinsey scored on a wild pitch. A sacrifice by Ryan Duncan knocked in another run for Berlin and then Wharton scored on a wild pitch. Powell then singled home a run for his third RBI of the game. Billy Wheatley singled home McDonough to cap off the five-run outburst and Berlin led 8-3 in the second.
Berlin essentially closed it out in the third with six more runs to extend its lead to 14-3. Hits by Wharton and Snelsire put two runners on. A sacrifice by Duncan advanced the runners, then McDonough, Powell and Wheatley collected three hits in a row. After a sacrifice by Hayden Cosman, Berlin got two more hits from Jack Rosenberg and Beck to push the lead to 14-3. West Salisbury could not come back and the championship game was cut short by the Little League slaughter rule.
The Berlin Intermediate team is now headed to the state tournament in the Washington, D.C. area, but they need a little help from the local community. The Berlin Little League this week was attempting to raise funds to help pay for the trip to states. For example, the Globe in Berlin on Tuesday hosted a fundraiser during which a portion of the day’s receipts were donated to the team.
Meanwhile, the other Berlin Little League baseball and softball teams have either advanced or have finished their All-Star tournaments. For example, the Berlin Junior League baseball team fell to Fruitland, 18-8, last Sunday to close out their tournament. The 9-10 baseball team has advanced and will face Delmar this week. The Major League baseball team beat Snow Hill, 10-1, last Friday, but then fell to Delmar, 8-6, on Sunday. The 9-10 softball team beat Willards, 22-12, on Monday to advance, while the Major League softball team fell to Delmar, 7-0, last Sunday.